Puppy Dog Eyes
by 1Pagan3
Summary: Set after ELAC. An early bday for Sammygirl1963. A big brother in a surly mood makes a halfhearted wish... what could possibly happen?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Set after ELAC and way before Bloodlust, written as an early bday present for Sammygirl1963 as a oneshot even though she's trying hard to convince me to keep going - sigh!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Kripke's creations or anything of the CW.

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The town was smaller than most but still big enough to have a small patch of grass with a teeter totter, a jungle gym and of all things… a wishing well. At least that's what Dean read as he stood next to the small hatchback that he and his brother borrowed from Bobby since they were now waiting for more parts to replace what he'd smashed.

Sighing, he looked around and saw a couple of teenagers laughing at what looked to be a black German Shepherd puppy that seemed to be chasing flies of all things. Shaking his head he looked around and finally spotted his brother coming despondently out of a store obviously disappointed that whatever lead they thought they had was a bust. Not that that should have surprised them, ever since the fiasco with the killer clown, it seemed like all the interesting hunts had magically disappeared. Taking only another moment to watch that Sam was really walking his way, he turned his attention back to the teens and the pup.

'_If you don't save him… you'll have to kill him.'_

Those damn words had been echoing in his head ever since his dad uttered them mere moments before his death and wouldn't give him a moments peace even in sleep. Why did _he_ have to worry about this, what did it mean, and what the hell was he supposed to do if he actually had to turn his weapon on the only remaining family he had left?

"They said no. Guess it's a bust after all." Sam said quietly as he stood next to his brother warily. Ever since seeing the devastation Dean had let loose on the car, he'd tried more than ever to give his brother the room he obviously needed. Sighing when he didn't get an answer he nodded, "I'll go across the street, grab some food and see if they know anything."

"Yeah, you do that." Dean muttered harshly, trying hard not to see the hurt look on his brother's face. Sure, it wasn't Sammy's fault, but damn it, couldn't he grieve in his own way without everyone telling him it's wrong? Couldn't he have a damn minute without having to face those damn puppy dog eyes that only his brother seemed to be able to pull off so well, begging him to fix things?

"Hey mister… _mister_! Are you going to make a wish?"

Dean looked down and saw a little freckle faced boy all of six looking up at him with an impatient glare that only a small fry could pull off. "What kid?" he asked, wondering what the kid was talking about considering he knew for a fact that even little Sammy at that age knew that wishing well's really didn't hand out wishes.

"The wishing well… aren't you going to make a wish? My sister made one that Bobby Brinsky would ask her out and he did! And my Gramma wished for a new TV for her birthday and she got one! You have to mister, _you have to make a wish_!"

Eyeing the kid a moment, Dean wasn't sure what to do. Yeah, he could ignore the kid, but there was something about how the boy was so sure that the well would work that he didn't have the heart to do that to him. Sighing, he looked behind him to make sure his brother was still where he was supposed to be and something struck him; how completely alone Sam looked, how defeated he seemed, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. 'Yeah, right. Like he has dad's last words tattooed in his head.' He thought sarcastically before looking over eyeing the puppy once again. 'Too bad a wish couldn't make Sam that carefree again.'

"_Mister!"_

"Yeah yeah, alright… jeez kid, you don't give up do you?" Dean grumbled as he pulled the first coin he found out of his pocket and looked at the boy again. "How's this, I wish my brother was like that puppy." He said sarcastically as he tossed the quarter into the air and listened as the splash echoed through the well. Feeling foolish, he peeked over his shoulder to see Sam making his way towards them with a large greasy sack in one hand and a couple of iced drinks in the other.

"Looks like it didn't take kid, sorry."

Laughing, the boy looked at Dean and rolled his eyes. "Wishes don't come true until you go to sleep silly. I have to go now; my mommy doesn't let me talk to strangers. Bye!"

Watching the kid dart off down the street, Dean wondered just what the kid's mom fed him. Before he got the chance to ponder it further though, he heard the rustling of the paper sack and turned to come face to face with his brother.

"Bacon cheeseburgers with extra onions, french fries and a slice of pie." Sam said quietly as he pulled the edge back enough for Dean to get a good look.

"Yeah, whatever, let's go. We'll hit a motel before we head back to Bobby's, I don't want to risk getting stranded on the road after dark." Dean muttered as he got in the small car, ignoring his brother completely.

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The cheap room had been a welcome stop on the side of the road when the sun began to set. It hadn't taken long to eat the burgers and settle in to watching crap TV on the small screen until finally drifting off sometime after the national anthem had been broadcast on the local stations. Now though Dean really wanted to deny the light coming in through the curtains and stay where he was until the end of time. Unfortunately something was keeping him from that goal and for once he couldn't blame his brother; one of the neighbors must have a dog from what he could hear of the whining coming close to the door.

"Sam… have you grabbed coffee yet?" he called out, hoping to hear something besides the insistent whining. "SAM?"

The only answer seemed to be the whining that became more persistence as well as louder.

Cracking one eye open, he looked over to where the sound was coming from and paused at the sight his gaze had landed on. There by the door sat a small black pup wearing his brother's t-shirt. "What the hell?" he exclaimed as he looked around the room noticing that Sam's boxers were lying on the other bed, but no brother. Not sure he was seeing what he thought he looked back at the dog and watched as the animal began to jump around in the effort to catch the dust dancing in the sun's rays coming through the window, effectively getting tangled in the shirt setting himself to tumbling to the floor.

"_Wishes don't come true until you go to sleep silly…"_

The little boy's words jumped into his brain and startled him to the point that he was sure he was about to fall over. Surely their luck wasn't this bad… to run into the one damn well that would actually work? Nah… couldn't be. But what other explanation was there? He knew that his brother wouldn't have tried this as a joke, mainly because neither of them had been in a joking mood… which left…

Reaching for his phone he dialed the ever familiar number. "Uh Bobby… how do you think Rumsfield would do with German Shepherd as a playmate?"


	2. Chapter 2

Bobby hung up the phone and shook his head. He had no idea what was going on with Dean, but if the boy thought he was going to bring a stray home then he had another thing coming. It was bad enough the way he'd been ignoring the one true responsibility he had, but to replace his brother with some mangy mutt was just beyond him.

"Damn idgit." He muttered as he made his way through the house to make sure there was plenty of food in the house. Even though Dean hadn't noticed how sickly Sam was, didn't mean he was that blind. The kid picked at his food more often than not and who knew what damage he was still trying to get over from the wreck, he wasn't even going to think about the emotional baggage the kid was dealing with on top of it all.

Seeing the fridge was still fairly full, along with the cabinets, he realized that the only way he was going to get Dean to see the light is if he actually took the initiative. Pulling some steaks out of the freezer, and a few spices out of the cabinet, he began to prepare one of Dean's favorite dishes – maybe that would keep the nitwit in one place while he had a little heart to heart talk with him.

"Playmate for Rumsfield… he's got to be out of his mind."

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Dean stared at the black dog in front of him and wondered what the hell he'd done to deserve this. "You pee on the carpet and so help me I'll make a rug out of you."

The dog only whined a bit more before scooting closer to the door, his wide brown eyes shining up at Dean.

Giving up on any type of training for the moment, Dean reached over and opened the door, allowing his new found pet outside. Before he could blink though, the large pup dashed out the door and across the parking lot.

"Sam! SAM DAMN IT, GET YOUR FURRY ASS BACK HERE!" Dean yelled as he took off after his brother… puppy… puppy brother? 'Damn, only our lives can be this screwed up.' He thought as he raced across the blacktop after the mutt he'd woken up to instead of his brother. His brother. His brother the dog. He was just about to yell at Sam again when the large black pup raced across the highway in front of a speeding semi, sending Dean's stomach to the soles of his feet. "SAMMY!!!"

The sound of the semi roaring down the road drowned out his scream and the gust of wind that blew afterwards blinded him for a moment causing tears to fill his eyes before he was able to blink them away. It took him a moment to understand what he was seeing, so sure he'd see nothing but the carnage of a furry body on the two lane road. However what he saw shocked him before he felt the familiar feeling of anger rise up. On the other side of the road lay Sam in all his puppy form glory looking at him with a happy smile plastered on his furry face, tongue lolling about, his ears perked up and tail wagging back and forth furiously in happiness.

"Damn it Sam… don't you ever look where the hell you're going?"

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They'd been on the road for almost eight hours and Dean was more than a little thankful that they were close to Bobby's. It had taken forever to get Sam into the backseat, and even longer for the pup to quit bouncing around the car while they were going down the road. Of course that last part might have something to do with the fact that he'd given up trying to keep the pup in the back and gave in on having him spread out on the front seat next to him. A pattern had been quickly established where they'd drive until Sam would whine, then they'd pull over and fill up the car while Sam emptied his own tank, get back in the car and head down the road once again.

Looking down he saw that Sam was once again using his jean clad leg as a pillow while he slept, and he would have possibly found it amusing if it wasn't for the fact that there was doggy drool now covering his pant leg and dripping onto part of the upholstery.

"Damn it." He grumbled to himself, wondering just what the hell he'd done to deserve this type of blatant disrespect. He was about to push the pup off when he noticed they were pulling into the salvage yard. "Good thing too, otherwise you'd have had to find your own way home." He complained as he turned the car off and looked over to see a very irritable looking Bobby standing on the porch.

"Well, what are you sitting there for? Dinner's 'bout done, come eat if you're hungry." Bobby said as he watched Dean get out of the car. "Where's Sam?" he asked, not seeing anyone in the small car besides the eldest Winchester. Before Dean had a chance to answer though a bark came from the car and a black furry object began to jump around. "What the hell?"

Sighing, Dean ran a hand across his face and looked up at his long time friend. "Yeah, well it's not like I didn't try to warn ya. Sam, get inside. SAM!" Dean growled, trying to intimidate the pup to do what he was told, only to have the pup jump on him and try to lick his face before running around the yard chasing what looked to be dragonflies.

"Sam. Come." Bobby commanded, not allowing any misinterpretation. When he saw the black pup come barreling towards him, he stepped to the side and squatted down to ruffle the fur behind Sam's ears. Looking closely he examined the pup before finally looking at Dean. "Boy, you have some explaining to do, but we'll do it inside. I want to get some meat on your brother before he gets sick." Seeing the confused look on Dean's face he shook his head. "Don't tell me you didn't notice that you can see his ribs. I'm surprised he hasn't fallen over yet."

Feeling guilty, Dean did look at Sam and noticed how skinny he was, making him wonder if his brother was really that painfully thin in his human form. When was the last time he actually took notice of that? Seeing that Bobby wasn't going to press the issue, he was happy to follow behind the older man as they lead Sam into the house where it smelled wonderful.

"If I'd known this was what you were talking about I would have made Sam's favorite instead of yours you idgit. Now go get ready while I finish the steaks."

Relieved that he could have a few minutes to himself, Dean gratefully made his way to the bathroom and washed his hands and face, ignoring the mirror before he turned his attention back to the kitchen. Seeing Bobby he was about to thank the man for his hospitality once again when suddenly they both realized that they had no idea where Sam was. Rushing towards the kitchen they both stopped suddenly when they saw Sam standing on the table, enthusiastically enjoying the steaks Bobby had just set down.

"SAM!" they both yelled, causing the pup to jump back in surprise, effectively knocking him off the table.

Dean was about to lay into the knee high sized pup when he saw how Sam whined and cowered at his feet while looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Leave him be Dean. I told you he was hungry, I'm surprised he didn't attack them when he first smelled them. I normally don't condone it, but this time I understand it. Let's just be thankful that it wasn't something dangerous, ok?" Bobby said calmly as he went about and picked up the remaining pieces of meat. "Take him outside for a bit though so I can clean up this mess, then you and I are going to have a talk about how the hell this happened."

Nodding, Dean motioned for Sam to follow and he led the chastened pup outside close to Rumsfield. After making sure Sam was content with Bobby's dog, he went back inside dreading the conversation he was about to have.

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AN: Ok, who here really thought I would let puppy!Sammy get hit by a truck? I'm not that mean, am I? Wait... don't answer that!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: A very happy birthday to the birthday girl Sammygirl1963!!!

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Dean followed the older hunter into the house knowing that he was about to get chewed out, and it didn't take long for Bobby to get started.

"Alright boy, mind telling me what the hell happened?" Bobby sneered as he glanced out the window to make sure the pup Dean called Sam was still in the yard. "Better yet… how the hell you're taking this so damn calmly?"

Taking a deep breath, Dean explained everything from seeing the puppy playing to the kid demanding him make a wish, quickly feeling more like the idjit the other man often called him. Ok, it really wasn't his fault, after all who really believes their wishes will come true anyways?

"So let me get this straight. I send you two out to check on a possible hunt and you what… get tired of your brother so you decide to change him? Is that what you're saying?" Bobby asked with a strange calm that all but chilled Dean to the bone. "That boy out there pulled himself off his own damn sick bed to stay with you and that damn fool daddy of yours, and that's somehow not good enough, you want him to… what… jump around and play like some kid? Damn it Dean! Whether you want to admit it or not… John was Sam's father too. Just because they butted heads don't mean the kid didn't love the man." Seeing Dean coming real close to protesting he put up his hand and shook his head. "Don't get started with me, you'll lose. Right now we need to find out if this was a real wish or a curse; let's hope it's just a wish and that it'll wear off on its own. God knows we don't need another mangy mutt around here."

Shocked, Dean was about to say something in defense of his brother, but realized that was exactly what Bobby had been hoping for. Shaking his head he ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "So, since I'm already in the doghouse, should I toss a blanket out there for Sam too?"

Snorting in disbelief, Bobby opened the door and called to Sam watching closely for any recognition in the puppy. Seeing only extreme happiness, but no actual signs of the human Sam, Bobby regretfully led the pup to the other end of the porch and quickly fashioned a collar and tied him far enough away from Rumsfield so they wouldn't get tangled.

"Sorry about this fella, but I have a feeling that if I let you inside there'd be hell to pay tomorrow. Don't worry though, we'll figure this out and get you back to normal in no time."

Hearing the pup whine unhappily, Bobby came close to relenting but knew he needed to fill Dean in on why his little brother wouldn't be joining them tonight. Turning though he was faced with empty space, filling him in on just how bad the situation was between the brothers. 'Damn fool, just like his daddy turning his back on the kid when he needs him the most.'

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Dinner had been subdued with both men knowing that if there were any talking it would most likely turn into another argument. Instead they silently ate while trying to ignore the incessant whining from outside coming from one very unhappy puppy. It didn't take them too long to eat and get the plates cleaned and put up, only for them to realize that it might be a good thing to put some distance between them for the time being as well.

Bobby stayed in his library researching wishing wells and any connection to curses while Dean made calls to the remaining number of hunter friends and acquaintances they had in order to try to find a way out of this mess. It took the remaining part of the night to come up with the exact same thing – nothing. Now they both were not only frustrated at the situation but themselves as well. Neither of them wanted to leave Sam in his new form any longer than necessary, but neither of them knew how to get him back to the way he should be.

After making sure both Rumsfield and Sam had plenty of water and Sam wasn't in any danger of tangling himself up in the thin rope, Bobby sighed and made his way upstairs to get a few hours sleep before tackling the problem again.

Dean watched as Bobby checked on both dogs and wondered at the soft spot the old man had towards his dog. Shaking his head, he conceded that maybe he had a good idea and made his way up the stairs to the guest room he'd been sharing with his brother before this whole mess began. His last thought before sleep claimed him was, 'Only Sam's puppy dog eyes could get us into this much trouble.'

The sound of rumbling overshadowed the sound of whimpering and whining that was occurring outside in the downpour, not fully waking the occupants inside the old farmhouse. While lightening streaked across the night sky, the hunters slept on, oblivious to the chaos ensuing so close to their own door.

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Something woke him. It was that sense that something was missing, something not right, and it was that something that obviously wasn't going to leave him alone. Turning, Dean looked at the clock and groaned seeing that it was only five in the morning and even the sun had the decency not to be up and around yet.

Turning onto his side he was faced with the empty bed next to him and a moment of panic set in his stomach until he remembered exactly why his little brother was nowhere to be seen. Settling into the warm blankets once more he was just beginning to drift off again when a bright flash lit up the room quickly followed by the crashing sound of thunder erupting overhead, startling him fully awake. It took another moment to associate the feeling he was feeling right then and when he did, he knew he didn't have any time to waste. His brother was terrified of storms, had been since he was three and they'd had to take shelter in a dark basement during a tornado in southwest Missouri. It wouldn't have been so bad except there had been small windows at the top of the basement walls and when they had blown; things had swirled around until they'd been pelted black and blue with everything from musty pillows to antique type lamps.

Racing down the stairs he tried to listen for any signs of distress, but could only hear the buildup of another storm as the wind picked up and began to howl outside. Fumbling only slightly with the locks he flung open the door peered into the night where he knew Sam had been. Not seeing anything, he stumbled down the steps barely registering Rumsfield taking shelter under Bobby's truck. Reaching the spot where he knew Sam had been tied up to keep him out of the road, he looked down in shock seeing only a frayed end of rope where his brother had once been.

"SAM! SAM, ANSWER ME! SAMMMMMY!!!"


	4. Chapter 4

AN: ok... I'm having trouble with the site, but will update ASAP just because I know there's going to be some upset people by the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy anyways...

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_Scaredscaredscared…runrunrun…nonononono…whatwasthat…coldwethomewhere…_

Thunder continued to crash and lightening pierced the darkness of the sky as a lone dark figure raced through the night terrified and lost with a frayed piece of rope dangling from his neck as the rain continued to pour down soaking the poor creature until its fur was plastered to its body and ears flat against its head.

As the storm continued to rage, the skies began to lighten giving the normally nocturnal creatures of the night a glimpse of the truly miserable puppy that continued on its haphazard path in the effort to find shelter, but continued about their business of staying safe and warm in their own homes.

The sound of whimpering floated through the breaking day quickly getting lost in the echoing thunder and with it the pups hopes of being found and taken home.

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Dean had been looking for Sammy for the past four hours on foot thinking that the best way to find his four legged brother would be to try and follow him, but that was before he realized that he was attempting to track down a terrified puppy in the middle of a thunder storm. Yeah, not the most brilliant notion he'd had in awhile, but it was the only thing he could think of considering the Impala was still down and Bobby's truck needed to stay with its owner in case the older man got a valid lead and needed to head out.

Sighing, he was getting more and more frustrated as he had to admit that he lost the little furball's trail, and didn't that sit wrong with him – he'd never _not_ been able to find his little brother. Maybe that was the problem though, maybe he'd lost his big brother powers and now he was doomed to roam the Earth in search of the one person he'd never be able to find again.

It took him a moment to realize that his phone was vibrating and it took him another moment to remember he did that in case he didn't hear it over the noise of the thunder. Not bothering to look at who was calling, he instantly answered and wasn't shocked by the voice, but definitely was with the words.

_"So, you tired of moping around or did you want to stay out there until your panties are soaked too, princess?"_

"I can't find him Bobby… he's scared out of his mind and alone and…"

_"…and will still be out there alone if you catch your death of pneumonia ya idjit. Now get back here, dry off, and we'll figure out what to do next."_ Bobby interrupted before hanging up abruptly, letting the younger man know that it wasn't a request.

Not happy about this turn of events, Dean turned back towards the direction of the salvage yard and picked up the pace in hopes that by the time he got back Bobby would have some news for him.

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Bobby hung up from talking to Dean and rubbed a hand over his face. Yeah, he knew Dean was beating himself up over losing Sam, but he wasn't the only one. He could still see a much younger Sammy curled up under an old Army blanket shivering in fright as a storm raged overhead and John explaining how they had been caught in a tornado once and the kid hadn't gotten completely over it. Not that he blamed the kid, he'd been through some storms that had made him sure the devil himself had been let lose, so yeah… he could understand wholeheartedly. Now though they had a missing Sam in puppy form loose because the remaining members of the kid's family had forgotten how to take care of him.

'Damn it Sam, where are you boy?' he thought harshly as he sent a prayer up to the heavens that someone was watching over him, since it was obvious that those who were supposed to had fallen down on the job.

Picking up the phone he began where he left off, determined to call everyone in town if he had to and no… he didn't care what time it was or if the person on the other end of the line hadn't woken up yet. He had made it about half way through his book of local contacts and acquaintances when he heard the heavy steps on the porch. Not bothering to look up, he continued with his calls until his vision began to blur and knew he needed another cup of coffee.

The light on in the kitchen didn't do much to add any cheer to the occupants, but it was as they wanted at the moment. Without the missing member of their family, they didn't want to enjoy themselves even for a minute.

"Any luck?" Dean asked hoarsely as he nursed another cup of coffee, not bothering to look at the older man in the effort of keeping his own guilt hidden.

"Not yet, but I'm not done yet. The Sorenson's have a farm that seems to get their fair share of strays and they're next on the list. They might not have seen him, but maybe they can keep a lookout." Bobby said with a heavy sigh as he sat down at the small table. "So… he chewed through the rope."

Nodding, Dean continued to look at his coffee as he said, "Yeah… the kid was scared and probably was whining most of the night before he worked his way lose."

Knowing that there wasn't much more he could say Bobby took a deep breath, finished his coffee quickly before muttering something about more calls and overdue favors before leaving Dean to his thoughts.

'Where are you Sammy?' Dean thought sadly as he looked out the window and worried about how the storm seemed to be getting worse.

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The wind howled, causing the pup to curl into a ball in the effort of waiting it out, but instinctively knew that he needed to be someplace else. The ground below him was too hard and didn't give any break in the wind. Whimpering again, he made his way across the hard black ground and was barely across when he heard a loud blaring noise and felt a huge wave of cold air that crashed into him leaving him feel even colder and wetter than before. A sudden sneeze broke free leaving him snuffling his nose on the green wet grass.

Not knowing where he was and no longer able to smell anything familiar, he slowly made his way to a grove of trees and laid under the branches of a fallen log, whimpering in fear as the storm continued to make its way through the area.

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"Dean, I think I've got a lead!" Bobby yelled as he raced across the house while shoving a heavy jacket on. Seeing Dean jump up made him wonder if maybe he made a mistake in getting the boy's hopes up. "You know what… let me go and scout it out. If it turns out to be him then…"

"No Bobby, I'm going. Where is he?" Dean asked, worried that something had already happened and he hadn't been there to stop it.

Bobby wasn't sure what he should do, but he knew that as stubborn as the Winchester men were he wouldn't be able to keep Dean from following. "I don't know for sure if it's him Dean, but Maybelle Torres said that she saw a soaked pup on the road and nearly hit him on her way home from the night shift at the diner. She would have stopped except her son Brian is sick and she had to get back to him." Seeing Dean's panicked face he continued in a rush, "She made sure I knew that he was fine, she didn't hit him and that he went toward the forest just on the south side of town off the highway."

"The south side of… Bobby, how the hell did he…?"

"He was scared. Fear will do strange things to people and animals both. So how about we get out there and bring that boy home?" Bobby said with confidence. He could tell that Dean was worried, and he had every right to be, but at the moment they needed to get out there and find Sam before something else happened to the kid.

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A truck pulled over to the side of the road and two figures carefully got out of the cab before reaching in the back and grabbing their equipment.

"You know Sandy, there are some days I really hate my job."

Nodding, Sandy Garrett agreed with her partner knowing exactly what Jeff was talking about. Most of the time they were just around to make sure the neighborhood animals were treated right, but at times there would be some starved and mistreated animal that they had to take back and hope they found a home for; it looked like today would be one of those days.

With the rain still pouring steadily down, they had seen the bundle of fur under some branches and knew that either some kid had lost their pet or some poor animal was in need of decent shelter. However, when they saw the frayed piece of rope they both looked at each other and grimaced, sure that whoever had this poor pup before surely didn't deserve it. Taking advantage of the sound of the storm as well as the sleeping condition of the pup, they gently threaded their noose around the small head before coaxing the drenched animal awake and urging it to follow in an effort not to hurt it. It was hard to ignore the frightened whimpers, and even harder not to pull on the pole in the effort to get the small mound of black fur to the truck, however the closer they got the more force they had to use and finally they had to pick him up and toss him in the back before shutting and locking the door.

"Yeah, definitely hate my job." Sandy muttered as she got into the driver's seat and closed the door that had emblazoned on the side, "Sioux City Animal Shelter"


	5. Chapter 5

AN: For those upset that there's been a lack of humor in the previous chapter, I have to apologize for this one in advance... although I'm hoping the next one will make up for it so please bear with me until then.

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The cloud cover reflected the feelings of the occupants of the lone vehicle that had just pulled off the side of the road. With a feeling of both excitement and dread the two men exited the vehicle and began calling for the missing member of their family.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled as he rushed to the tree line and kept a sharp eye out for any movement. He was hoping that they hadn't been too late, that the near miss that his puppy brother had earlier hadn't happened again, this time with deadlier results.

"Relax Dean, if Sam got hit there'd be signs on the road." Bobby said gruffly, knowing that even though what he said was true, it didn't help them with their situation. Right now they had a missing pup who just happened to have classic Winchester luck. "We'll find him, ok?"

Dean stopped and tried hard not to lose his temper, but as with dealing with Sammy and his issues, dealing with Bobby and his subtle 'daddy complex' was wearing thin but he needed to push it down because he had more important things to worry about – like finding his little brother. Nodding, he pushed past the older man and tried to concentrate on anything that would show that it had been Sammy in the area.

The rain began to taper off and the sun was starting to peak out between the clouds before Dean and Bobby had to admit that the only sign of animals were the ones that were beginning to peak from their hidey holes to see what all the commotion was about. It took another hour before the residents of the wooded area began to go about their normal, all thanks to the removal of the strangers who had searched high and low for a stranger among them.

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Sandy shook her head in amusement at the antics the latest resident of the shelter. Although the pup was a bit underfed, he acted like a normal happy puppy who seemed to go out of his way to make other people happy. As she watched, the black pup rolled on his back and whined until someone rubbed his belly before suddenly jumping up and licking the unsuspecting persons face until he fell on his side and did it all over again. She didn't know where the animal came from but it was obvious that he hadn't really been mistreated, especially if the makeshift collar that had been attached to his neck was any indication. Sure, it was made from a thin rope, but it hadn't been severely tied nor was it knotted in a way that the pup would have been uncomfortable – no, whoever had taken the extra few minutes to work the rope in such a way had obviously done it with care.

'Who do you belong to buddy?' she thought as she watched the local vet begin his examination of the now very unhappy puppy.

"Hey Sandy, mind giving me a hand here?" Dr. Reynolds asked as he once again tried to take a sample from the pup in front of him in the effort to test for worms.

Laughing, Sandy smiled and reached over to calm the animal even as the pup began to lick her hand. "Yeah, you're a sweetheart aren't you? What in the world were you doing out in the rain, huh?"

Dr. Reynolds finished the exam before looking back up at Sandy, "I've seen the calmest animals go completely insane when a storm begins to brew, and I know for a fact that the weathermen weren't expecting what blew in last night. In fact, I'm surprised we don't have more strays at the moment, that's usually the way it goes."

Nodding, Sandy had to agree with her mentor, the rate of strays did usually go up after a thunderstorm. She just wished this particular one had a tag on him. Their kennels were full as it was and their normal two week period of keeping the animal and hopefully adopting it out or finding the owners had been decreased to a week which depressed her to the point that she was seriously thinking about changing her major from Veterinary Medicine to Business.

"Ok, this little guy's ready to go into the back. You know… you might put him in the front kennels – I bet he'd get picked out pretty quick."

Sighing, Sandy had to agree… the pup would be picked out quickly, but she wanted to try to find his owner first.

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Bobby sat back and watched as Dean continued to work on the Impala with a frustrated frenzy that made him worry that by the time the kid was done there wouldn't be a car left to fix properly. He'd tried to help, but quickly retreated back to the house to try and figure out how to find the missing brother. It didn't go unnoticed by him that the elder brother kept close to a certain brown jacket that somehow found its way next to the car. Turning from the window he was trying to figure out what it was they were missing and feeling as if he was letting both boys down as he walked towards his library to try to figure out what was niggling as the back of his brain.

The only sound coming from the yard was the occasional clanking of tool against part as well as the occasional cussing coming from underneath the classic Chevy. Dean had no idea why he was even bothering at the moment since his mind was obviously not into his work, and to his frustration was actually making things worse if the grease, oil, and dirt he now wore was any indication. It didn't help that he couldn't get his brother's face out of his head… how Sammy looked as lost as he felt and damn if that didn't set poorly with him. Sighing, he wiped his face once again, trying to put together what they knew and what they didn't – hoping that whatever it was that they were missing would make itself known so they had an idea where to look for his brother next.

Suddenly, he stopped in mid-motion and couldn't believe that he didn't think of it sooner. Just as he pushed himself out from under his precious baby, he began yelling for Bobby just as Bobby burst through the door calling out his name.

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There wasn't much of a crowd to see the new adoptees today, giving Sandy a chance to take a break for lunch out instead of a quick trip to the vending machines like she normally did. Before leaving though she made sure to take a peek in to see how the new pup she's dubbed "Buddy" was doing. Satisfied that he wasn't in any distress as he was chasing particles of dust around his kennel, she reminded the others that he wasn't adoptable just yet because they haven't had time to check for his owners and made her way to the parking lot to her small car anxious to get away for the half hour she was allotted for lunch.

Little Tanya Matthews had been looking for a new puppy every day for the last month and was driving her parents more than a little batty with her pickiness in finding the 'right one' as the replacement for her once beloved Boo-Boo who passed away a couple months before due to a snake bite in the yard. The shelter was full of animals, some small, some large, but nothing seemed to catch the little girl's interest… until today. As she walked along, she saw the happy puppy that seemed to be content in entertaining himself while the others around him seemed happy to ignore him.

"That one Daddy, I want that one!" Tanya yelled as she raced to the cage to pet her new puppy. Feeling the puppy lick her hand happily she looked at her parents and insisted once again, "See Daddy, he likes me!"

Turning towards the caretaker on duty Mr. Matthews shrugged and nodded, knowing that even though they had to go through the motions of putting both the pup and his daughter together to make sure they interacted well, he was sure that this was the day they'd been waiting for – maybe now his baby girl would go through a night without crying herself to sleep.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but there's a note on his file that…"

"That what… he's here, we're here, if his owners really gave a damn don't you think that this would have been the first place they'd look? Tell you what, let me talk to your manager and I'm sure we can get this straightened out… meanwhile, you and my wife can take care of all the 'necessities.' Tanya, be careful with him, he doesn't know you yet so don't make him nervous."

Laughing, Tanya nodded while petting the black puppy through the caging and allowed him to lick her happily. "Ok Daddy. Can we take him home though? Can we?"

Having already gone through the background check and being on the Approved List as well as being first in line to adopt any animal available, it was easy enough to convince the shelter's manager to forgo the normal amount of time that was policy to attempt to find the owner of the puppy in question. The only issue now was if the vet was still in house and if so, would he be willing to do the neutering that day instead of waiting for morning.

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The sound of heavy running footsteps echoed through the lobby of the animal shelter, making those close by look up and stare in horror at the sight in front of them. While the older man just looked like he'd been working in the yard, the younger was covered in grime and looked shocking with his greased hair spiking everywhere and the oil practically oozing down his arms, face and clothes.

"I'm looking for my bro…"

"Dog! Our dog got loose last night and we've looked everywhere… he's a black German Shepherd puppy and…"

"…he likes to chase flies and will lick you death and..."

"…has a makeshift collar that I…"

"Braided, right?" Sandy asked as she walked in behind the two scruffy looking guys who seemed downright panicked that they lost their pet. "Sure, we found him today. In fact he was settling in nicely in the back and his examination came back clear for worms and such. Tell you what, come with me and we'll go see him together, ok?"

"Uh, Sandy… we have a problem." A middle aged woman called out and motioned for the younger woman over. After whispering frantically and glancing over to the other men she finally got her story told even knowing what the reaction would be.

"They did what!?!" Sandy exclaimed as she stood there in disbelief. "How the hell? Nevermind!" she yelled as she raced down the hall sensing the two men following close. "Dr. Reynolds, stop!"

Not knowing who the hell Dr. Reynolds was or why the woman in front of them was screaming down the hall, Dean had a feeling that he needed to get to their destination fast.

Bursting through a door marked 'Surgery', all three people froze at the sight of the vet standing over a sleeping pup with scalpel in hand.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Yes, I know I have a TON of other stories I need to pay attention to... but a dear friend really needed this chapter tonight so... Jean, this one's for you!

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Dr. Reynolds had no idea what to think. He'd heard Sandy's yell and was wondering what the normally calm, compassionate student was doing causing such a disturbance especially during a surgical procedure on an animal that was being prepared for adoption. He was just about to carry on with the surgery and had the scalpel in hand when the door burst open and there stood a crazy man looking as if he was more than willing to kill anything in his path.

"Dr. Reynolds, stop!" Sandy yelled as she made her way around the man claiming to be the owner of "Buddy". I think we've found his family… Buddy's family. They weren't supposed to allow him to be viewed until we checked around but…"

Motioning for the young woman to calm down, Dr. Reynolds turned and placed the scalpel down on the tray before turning his attention towards the man in question. "And what makes you so sure this is your animal?" he demanded, not wanting to make any assumptions on who or what this person in front of him wanted.

It took everything in him not to pound the vet into the concrete slab, especially seeing what they were about to do to Sammy, but that small rational part of him knew that if he was to get his little brother home, he needed to stay calm. "Look, he's all black except for a small patch of white on his chest and inside his ears. He spends most of his time either trying to eat flies or catch dust bunnies in the air, he's terrified of storms and would most likely lick you death than even growl. He's the only thing left of my little brother and if you don't mind, I'd really like to have him back!"

Startled by what the young man had practically growled at him, the vet took a deep breath and looked at the chart noting what it said. "So, what about his undernourishment? If you care about him so much, why haven't you been taking better care of him? And since we're on the subject, how did he get away from you to begin with?"

Having enough of being in the background, Bobby stepped forward and walked towards the vet while motioning to Dean to look after his brother. "Look, you have to understand, we weren't expecting that storm, otherwise he'd have been in the house. We know he doesn't like the thunder… scares him to the point of a panic attack. As far as his weight… yeah, he's been off his feed, but so would you if you'd lost someone close to you, right? He just started eating like he should right before he took off in the middle of the night. So if you want to fine us for not having him properly secured and no tag, go ahead, but don't give me this crap that you can't tell he's Dean's pup!"

The vet looked past the older man and was shocked by what he saw. The younger man, Dean, was actually lying on the table curled around the pup while stroking his fur and talking to the animal in calm hushed tones. Sighing, he nodded and shook the other man's hand. "I'm just glad this ended happily, we don't get that many around here."

It had taken longer than expected for Sammy to wake up from his drug induced napped, but once he saw Dean he had sprung to all four paw and pounced onto the very familiar figure, leaving no doubt to anyone just who the pup belonged to. With a quick farewell, Bobby, Dean and Sammy were making their way to the truck when Dean paused and looked down at his furry brother.

"Dude, you have no idea just how close you really came to being Samantha!"

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Bobby stood at the window and watched Dean toss the ball once again so that Sammy could chase after it and bring it back. It hadn't been any surprise that once someone really began paying some attention to the pup he had taken to training like… well… like a Winchester to hunting. Now though the problem of how to get a certain puppy back to human form was really becoming an issue and he was stumped on how to achieve it.

As Dean watched and waited for Sammy to bring the ball back, he wondered about the past several weeks and just how far he'd gotten from what his little brother needed. He had no idea what to do as far as what he'd been told, and for a moment even thought maybe they shouldn't change Sammy back, but that big brother instinct of his was beginning to make itself known again and he knew he couldn't be a big brother if he didn't have a little brother around. Seeing Sammy racing back with the ball, he was prepared for what normally happened – Sammy would stop in front of him and wait until Dean pulled the ball out of his mouth. Unfortunately this time Sammy did something totally different… he didn't stop until he'd completely run Dean over and was effectively standing on the man's chest.

"Not funny Sammy… not funny at all," Dean groaned as he tried to get up off the ground. "Ok Sammy, let me up… come on now… get off!"

Sammy continued to stand on Dean's chest and staring at the man below him as if in deep consideration until it looked like Dean was about to ask a startling question, then he did something and really disgusted Dean – he licked the whole side of his face with one long stroke of his tongue before leaping off and prancing towards the porch.

"Oh no you don't you mangy mutt… get your furry ass back here!" Dean yelled as he raced off after the pup. "And to think I saved your butt from the unthinkable! Just wait… when I get hold of you, I'll neuter you myself!"

Laughing on the porch, Bobby watched Dean continue to chase after Sammy and paused a moment when he was sure he'd heard Sammy echo his chuckles in the breeze.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: well here's the last chapter and I wanted to thank everyone whose taken the time to read it... I hope you all have enjoyed it. Thanks again to Sammygirl1963 who keeps me going even when I'm feeling too frustrated to write. Take care, I hope to see you all with my other stories.

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Dean sat down at the picnic table and watched Bobby finish the steaks while Sammy played with a visiting butterfly. He had to admit that it wasn't bad watching his little brother happy, but that didn't mean he didn't miss his human brother. What it did mean though was that he was having to take what he could get and deal with the rest – something he'd become good at for many years.

"Ok Dean, here's yours… now how about convincing that brother of yours to eat his own damn food." Bobby complained as he too sat down at the picnic bench and began to cut into the steak and potatoes.

Laughing, Dean couldn't help but find the humor of what happened earlier even if the older man did seem a bit put out about it.

_Bobby pulled out a couple packages from the fridge and smiled like he was about to divulge some long buried secret, making Dean wonder what the hell had gotten into the man._

"_A friend of mine owed me a favor and decided to drop some of this by on his way through town. Apparently he thought I might know someone who could appreciate good meat." Bobby said as he opened the paper package enough to show Dean what was inside. "Bison steaks. Some of the best meat you'll ever have and expensive as hell too."_

"_Uh Bobby…not that I'm complaining, but...Buffalo? I'm not sure about that."_

"_Trust me boy, after you've had some of this you'll be wondering what they're serving in those steakhouses you like to go to. Now sit down while I get these ready and…"_

_Before Bobby had a chance to turn around to the counter, Sammy had leapt up and knocked the steaks out of his hand and started to devour the raw meat, tearing into the bottom package to get to the other steaks hidden from view._

"_Sammy NO!" Bobby yelled as he pulled the pup off the now desimated butcher paper on the floor, no meat in sight._

_Trying hard to stifle his laugh, Dean shook his head. "Hey, it's your fault… you're the one claiming he needed more to eat!"_

Now they were sitting down to eat good old fashioned beef and all he could say about it was, 'Thank God!' He could eat a lot of things, but eating buffalo just didn't seem all that appetizing to him. 'Thanks Sammy!' he thought, wondering if on some scale his little brother had been protecting him from trying something that he just didn't want to do.

"And no feeding that brother of yours under the table either!" Bobby groused as he dug in, ignoring the 'who…me?' look Dean was tossing his way.

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With Bobby in his library, the house was quiet giving both Dean and Sammy some time to themselves. Seeing how the pup really wanted back outside, Dean smiled and opened the door quickly following the black streak as it sped by him.

"Hey you mutt… get back here!" he yelled, as he once again chased after his brother until he saw the pup stop and sit down in front of the Impala. Nodding, he gathered his tools and started working while Sammy stayed close by watching him work.

"You know, it's not that I'm mad at you… right Sammy? I just… have a lot of stuff on my mind right now. I'll get over it, ok?" Dean asked and looked over where Sammy was laying, watching him. Hearing the single bark, he nodded and carried on with his work until it was too dark to really see what he was doing but getting further along than he'd been expecting. "You know… I think we just have the trunk lid to replace and we'll be done. I think that can wait until tomorrow, what do you think?" Another bark made him smile and he nodded before opening the passenger door. "You tear the upholstery and I'll tan that hide of yours… make your pelt into foot mats."

Feeling a little better, Dean started the car and drove it down the road for a test run with his still puppy brother by his side. Smiling he looked over knowing that even though his brother wasn't exactly there, he was still content that at least a piece of him was. They pulled into the salvage yard and quickly exited the car and gathered up the tools before walking out to the shed to put them away. It was a dark night with no moon, only the stars shining brightly. Giving into the urge, Dean lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky.

"I remember the first time you asked me why there were so many stars in the sky. You always had the damnedest questions." He laughed, "I mean how the hell one small fry of a body could keep all the questions and answers in your head was beyond me… but you did it. It amazed me how many times you'd have an answer for a question even if there were so many to choose from." Feeling the pup's head lying on his chest now, he reached down and petted the soft fur and thought about how much they could have really lost and he was suddenly very thankful for the chance he had with his brother. "Sammy… I know that this is hard, but you need to give me some time, ok? I mean, just… I don't know… just … stay my best friend, ok?" he asked and smiled when he heard the single bark again.

Laying there under the stars he wasn't surprised when he felt the pup relax into sleep and somehow maneuvered his jacket to cover both of them before he too drifted off.

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Sunlight was attempting to work its way into his brain via his eyelids and that was something that he really didn't like happening until well past noon if he had his say so. However he was already seemingly awake and that meant he might as well get up and finish the Impala before deciding what to do next. The feel of something heavy on his chest didn't register at first, remembering that the pup had fallen asleep on him the previous night, however this weight was different making him look down and stare.

"Sammy?" he asked, shocked by what he was seeing. It was Sammy… naked… on him! "Sammy… come on man… wake up!"

Moaning, Sam moved his head before beginning to open his eyes and look around disoriented. "Dean? What's wrong… where…" suddenly it was like a switch had been flipped and the younger brother leapt up, taking Dean's jacket with him in the attempt of covering at least part of himself. "Uh… what… where… never mind!" he stammered as he raced towards the house, face crimson and unable to look at his brother all the while trying to ignore his brother's laughter and yells of, "Come on Sammy… where's your sense of adventure?"

Thinking he was home free when he saw the door open, he was completely shocked when he heard Bobby shout out, "Damn boy, I know your daddy raised you better than that… get your bare ass in here!" Yeah, some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed.


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